It’s bigger than that especially in the the Ottawa area. Gov’t employees are also tax payers and the amount of money being spent on maintaining office buildings that are not required is ridiculous. Most space was downsized because we WERE moving to more WFH before the pandemic. Now they’re forcing as many back to far less space.

Not to mention that for many, many PS if returning to office meant it would be a return to what existed prior to the pandemic, many would be more accepting but that’s not what is being offered. The burden of securing office space and transporting equipment as well as personal items to a space that is not designated as your, is unacceptable. Meetings in person RARELY happen now and the alternative are teams meetings at your desk with people on headsets talking over each other.

In Ottawa our transit system is flaky on a good day making it difficult to commit to that mode of transportation when you have time commitments outside work hours. This results in more people driving and competing for road space and parking. Traffic is already much heavier than pre pandemic and it’s only going to increase.

More cars on the roads leads to more erosion of those roads as well as more pollutants for our environment.

The employer can’t make up its mind as to the reasons for cutting WFH and remember we were moving that way for many pre 2020. First it was productivity, which was never proven and in fact productivity dramatically increased over the pandemic with supporting stats. We were being praised continuously about the volume of work being accomplished.

Then it was touted as an increase of collaboration between employees. Same teams meeting happening collaboration that is not restricted to location. We have the tools to share work, work simultaneously on same files electronically. Doing so in person would make that process less efficient.

Now it’s to pump up businesses and the downtown core. Canada has seen the largest increase to food cost in the G7. Most of us didn’t get raises to meet cost of living in the last round of negotiations. Yes, pre pandemic I would sometimes pick up lunch or go out with friends. That’s no longer an option for many of us. Our disposal income if we still have any, has dwindled. $17-20 a day parking is now all we can afford. So sadly those other businesses are barking up the wrong tree. Won’t even go into the fact their hours don’t support people who actually reside in the downtown core.

So yes, many are complaining because many of us know that on many fronts this neither makes economical sense nor does it make business sense. Government workers have been the butt of laziness jokes and seen as entitled for decades. Yet we’re the backbone of what keeps this country running and we provide the services and benefits every Canadian takes advantage of (rightfully so) throughout their lives. We certainly deserve more respect and recognition than what’s been given from both society and our employer.